Children's vehicles or carts as they are sometimes called are well known in the art. Internal combustion karts are often called "go-karts," presumably in recognition of the ability of the vehicles to traverse the ground at an apparent high rate of speed relative to the proximity to the ground. Accordingly, "go-carts" may not be suitable for very young drivers such as preschoolers. One form of vehicle for very young drivers is the battery operated toy car, however, the battery frequently requires recharging and is cumbersome to recharge and to transport. Therefore, the toy is often left sitting in an unused state for long periods of time, or is quickly disposed of by parents who become frustrated by the charging cycle of the battery or the low tolerance of such vehicles for outdoor terrain.
Carts are often provided with a substantially rigid frame such that the wheels on either side are fixed in relation to each other. The carts are not built with leaf spring suspension like passenger cars or with compression springs, therefore, when uneven or unlevel terrain is encountered, often times one of the steerable guidance wheel will be lifted off the ground thereby reducing the control of the vehicle frightening the young driver and perhaps resulting in a total loss of control.
Additionally, there exists a problem with low power vehicles of this genre when the vehicle is started on uneven terrain or uphill in that the inertia of the vehicle is difficult to overcome without some expertise without an abrupt start.
There exists a need for a cart that offers the convenience of an internal combustion engine with the safety of a ground engaging suspension, a low speed of operation, and an assisted movement configuration.